Young people roar on Tigers through Fans For Diversity support
National League North side Gloucester City AFC welcomed over 100 young people from across different communities for their home fixture against Boston United on Sunday 31 January thanks to Fans For Diversity (FFD).
Thanks to the campaign, run in partnership by Kick It Out and the Football Supporters’ Federation (FSF), free coach travel was provided for young people to make the trip from Gloucester to the Tigers’ current home at Whaddon Road, Cheltenham, to watch the match.
Supported by MY:UK, young people involved with the Gloucester City Community Tigers were invited to make the 10-mile journey to see the Tigers in action, with the initial allocation of 60 extended due to the high demand for the coach service.
The match gave the club an opportunity to develop relationships with the community and unite people behind the club, who are looking to increase their support within Gloucester.
Tigers goalkeeper Jaz Singh, who blogged exclusively for the Kick It Out website in the build-up to the match, kept a clean sheet on a successful day for Gloucester as they defeated Boston 1-0.
After the match, the young people in attendance were able to meet the players by the pitch where they posed for pictures and signed autographs.
Mat Liddiard, Gloucester City’s Community Sports Officer, said: “It was a fantastic day for all involved with the Gloucester City Community Tigers and MY:UK. The young people involved with the project throughout the week don’t come to games at the weekend so it was a really important step.”
“It was great to have the support of Fans For Diversity and we would love to have them involved again the next time we invite the young people involved in our community scheme to a matchday.”
Anwar Uddin, lead on the Fans For Diversity campaign, said: “We’re always looking to support opportunities that encourage football supporters from different backgrounds to watch their local team.
“To see over 100 young people attend the match at Gloucester shows the appetite amongst the local community to be involved in football and it is important that the clubs uses the initiative to develop Tigers’ fans of the future.”